This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Donald Trump's promise to build an unbelievably impenetrable wall along our southern border and have Mexico pay for it appears to be having a hard time getting off the ground. Mexico currently says they won't pay, and the idea of charging a tariff for imported goods won't work because that would just be passing the cost off to American consumers.
I've got a better idea. Similar to the idea of World War II war bonds, Trump could set up the issuance of Build the Wall bonds to eventually be paid back by Mexico instead of the U.S. Treasury. Surely, the Republican trust in Trump would ensure the zealous purchase providing more than enough up-front money to complete the job. Obviously, there would be no room for doubt the president would eventually force Mexico to pay. After all, you got to believe the guy when he makes promises.
A large percentage of the bonds would likely be enthusiastically purchased by right-wing billionaires even after trickling some down to the masses. The remaining anti-immigration voters who pushed so hard for the wall should be hugely willing to put up or shut up.
Raymond A. Hult
Bountiful